CASE Card

Love going to Impress because they have so many inspiring, creative cards on display.  They had one like this but had hung a very sweet stocking by Little B on a branch.  I was inspired to purchase those darling little dimensional stickers, but just had to come home to dig out my tree die by Impression Obsession.
I needed a special Thank You card, so instead of the stocking I added a little bird. I also used a Gelly Roll pen on the tree to add a bit of 'snow.'  The circle was punched at 2" and after fixing the trees in the opening, it was backed with a piece of card stock  punched also to keep the see through window while hiding the glue holding the trees in place.  Just loved the card at Impress, and mine is a successful copy.

Black & White with a splash of Blue

Time to craft  has been devoted to some fun Christmas gift projects.
But tonight I felt like doing some blog challenges. These cards use the Pals Paper Arts Sketch 232 and Sweet Stampin' "Black & White +1."  Paper is Close To My Heart Snowhaven. Sentiments are Plain Janes from Verve stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black.  Embellishments are CTMH and white grosgrain ribbon is Stampin'Up!.

Christmas Spirit Birdbrain

Sure is fun to wrap presents and connect with friends and family, plan festive outings, have a chuckle and...well, just relax and enjoy.  This card's sketch was inspired by Aaron Brown. The colors used are for Color Me! challenge CMCC#51 . The paper is CTMH Pear & Partridge collection (retired), and washi tape is CTMH also. The wonderful image and sentiment are From the Heart digi and I have linked to their Stamp of the Month Challenge.  The digital images in their shop are marvelous, and once you buy the month's digi and enter a project on the blog, you receive the next month's challenge image free.  It's very fun program. Check it out!

Snowmen Ornaments

I have been having fun with snowmen crafts....made sweet snowmen wraps on microwave popcorn packages. Made 19 for Kindergarten class and 26 for 3rd grade class gifts for the grandsons.  Then while on Pinterest, I saw these cute guys.  I was just about to make another version, but thought the little hats were too cute.  The hat 'brims' were cut on Cricut - used Art Philosophy top of the acorn cut at 2" (cut off the stem), and an oval from the same cartridge cut at 1".  The pompom is a 3/4" punch. After gluing the hats, I ran them through a Stampin Up! embossing folder. The coal eyes and smiles are sparkles colored with a black Sharpie.  I used glue gun to attach the back - a 1 3/4" scallop with a smaller hole punched out to expose the battery switch, and glue gun to hold the hats and ribbon hangers.  Tied with a 10" ribbon for a scarf.  These will be on packages as part of the gift tag.

Light up the tree  with some happy faces!

 

Bright Silver Night

Trying out the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge (CTMH) - and this panel caught my eye.  I cut it on some textured dark blue from the paper stash, I rounded the bottom a bit with scissors, and then adhered it to a snowy white card base.  I heat embossed the sentiment in silver, added some sweet little crystal stars and a silver thread bow.  A peaceful, starry night. Time to plug in the lights this evening.

Peaceful and sparkly thoughts for you all!                                                                                

 Card linked to two challenges.

Color Me! CMCC #50


CASology challenge #125


 

Silver and Gold

I used my new Savy die and some gold shimmer paper and silver velum for this card.  Added a few sequins from Tinsel Company. Tiny sparkles and sentiment stamped in gold pigment ink from Close to My Heart.

I have linked the card to Friday Mashup silver and gold challenge. The Mashup was to have the card also be Christmas themed. 

Circle of Gratitude

What a hectic week!  I have just not made time to craft things that can be posted. Busy working on Christmas projects, house projects, and even a day of subbing....So when I finally finished this card, I had missed the ink up to Paper Pals Arts that inspired.  That's OK.  I like the card and had fun creating it. It will be a perfect thank you card.
I used water colors to make the circles, and then stamped with Memento Black using a long ago retired CTMH set.
The sentiment was a free digital from Stamplorations.  I have linked this card to their site for the 'Anything Goes' Challenge.

Christmas Layers

Using the Just Add Ink #241 sketch as inspiration, I created layers with some lovely (older) Cosmo Cricket paper from my stash.  This paper is rich, creamy swirl on one side, and the patterned side an unusual soft green poinsettia like flower and deep red candy-like swirls. 

The Stamplorations November Challenge is 'Stamps & Layers,' and there are quite a few layers here.
The main front panel was stitched (minus thread) on my machine; then I fussy cut and layered three flower sections for the sentiment panel attached using some foam tape.  The sentiment used two stamps from a long retired CVTMH set, inked in Juniper and Ruby.  I finished it with a twine bow and scattered Bisque Liquid Pearls.

 

Gift

I was inspired by  Deconstructed Sketch 177 - though I changed the shape, and didn't use a patterned paper....I wrapped a small piece of card stock with several pieces of washi tape and tied the little package with gold twine. Both the panel and the 'gift' were attached with foam tape. A very CAS version of the sketch.

Sweet Polar Bear Greeting

The Sweet Sunday Sketch #245 and my new stamp set inspired this card.  I used a white card base, and Close To My Heart papers from the Snowhaven collection.  The stamps are in the Polar Bear Holiday set. I colored the image using both water brush and markers.  Three bitty sparkles highlight the snowflakes. 

I have been away - traveling, settling in to the new house and trying out the substitute teacher life.  It is very different from teaching, but a few days a week will fund more travel!   I adored Italy and hope to be able to visit again.  For now, I am home and back in my cozy craft room.

Sending Birthday Wishes

Try Stampin' On Tuesday sketch challenge also included a challenge to use brown, yellow and orange. I used a Verve stamp inked in brown pigment, then heat embossed it with clear powder before coloring the flower.  The 'sending you' sentient is the top of a CTMH birthday stamp.
Patterned paper is Bo-Bunny Shabby Princess. Stampin'Up! Ribbon, CTMH antiques copper bitty brads, and a Martha Stewart border punch on CTMH Goldrush card stock.

Also linking to  Stamplorations September 'stamps and markers' challenge. Whoohoo! I managed all three this month.

 

Paint the town!

This sketch from Stamplorations - sketch challenge #20 has been in my head for days.  I wanted to do something a little different, but wasn't sure what.  Then Paper Players blog challenged a clean and simple masculine birthday card.  That helped get my sluggish mojo going.  It feels like I've been stuck the past few days.  It's feels good to have messed up my craft table again.

Used Plantin Schoolbook cartridge to cut the cityscape, a CTMH birthday stamp, and computer generated the 'paint the town' sentiment.

 

 

Happy Autumn Thoughts

The weather turned chilly and a light rain...perfect for crafting. My second post today.
I used  retro.sketches #132 to start, and kept it very simple. No bumps which makes it easy to mail.
The paper is CTMH Ivy Lane (retired), stamps CTMH Happy Autumn and Sincere Expressions inked in CTMH Hollyhock and Red Barn.  I stamped the larger flower second generation on the design paper and added two smaller flowers on top. That piece was matted with Hollyhock card stock and adhered with some foam tape to give a little dimension. The card base is a textured palest pink from the unnamed stash. That texture also helped give the design more interest.
A quick, simple card!

 

May Your Day Blossom

This card uses the chevron embossing folder and stamp set Funky Blossoms, both from Close To My Heart.  The card stock colors are Olive and Goldrush.  The stamps were inked with a Kaleidacolor pad:Creole Spice.  I stamped the smaller blossom several times, and the center one is three layers popped with some foam tape.

I took a bit of liberty with the circle piece, but the sketch that inspired my card is Atlantic Hearts #73 found here.

 

Wonderful You

Atlantic Hearts Challenge #72 - almost missed it.  I tried to watercolor, and though I love it, it is very challenging.  Must keep practicing and sign up for a class!

The main image was stamped in Archival brown on watercolor paper. Then I taped off the rectangle and tried a water wash and then touched down some color.  The stamps and sentiment are CTMH Fabulous You.

 

My Nicest Thought

Lovely evening with friends tonight, and one who has just returned from many years teaching in Germany gave me two sheets of gorgeous die cuts. Very different from things I've seen here in the states. I've used one on this card with Whisper, Slate and Sweet Leaf papers. The sentiment, from Verve, is stamped in Slate ink.  Pearls and ribbon from my stash.
Some of the nicest things about the great outdoors - the theme this week at
Sweet Stampin'- are watching birds and listening to their sounds. 

Grateful

It was cold today, and was nearly 2 PM before the sun managed to break through and burn off our clouds.  It was a soup-for-lunch day.  I really love autumn and it's colors, greys, browns with bursts of oranges and reds.  Today my card is subdued.  The papers are Kraft, Barn Red, Black, and White Daisy.  The stamp set is a favorite CTMH long retired, November Word Puzzle. The wheat was stamped with Champagne ink, and random leaves around the edge were a combination of champagne and Barn Red.

The sketch at Little Tangles #44 was used.

 

Ah, Autumn!

My second post for today - after cleaning up the space for some pictures, I messed it up creating.
This card uses lots of leaves for the Just Us Girls  #257challenge.
Some of the metal leaves (from Blue Moon) are strung on metal wire and wrapped around some bronze brads for the Card Makin' Mamas CMM88 | Precious Metals x3  challenge. And arranged using STAMPlorations Sketch #19.
Papers are Brazill kraft, Close To My Heart textured Autumn Terracotta, Colonial White, and Cocoa run through the new CTMH wood grain embossing folder.
How fun is that?!!

 

New Space

So I retired and bought a little house this summer.  That meant a new space for crafting.  It has been such fun to organize and get this set up.  It isn't complete, but I can work in it now and find almost everything!  Still several boxes in the garage - mostly paper, project supplies, and sewing things.
I love that so much can be in the closet. The other end of this room is a TV sitting area and washer/dryer.  Thinking I will just about live in this room!

Coolest repurpose - clear shoe caddy holds lots of punches

 

Boo!

Playing with my new CTMH Scaredy Cat paper and Trick or Treat Sweets stamp set. Such fun to play with new things! This card uses  CAS(E) This Sketch #91, embellished with some googly eyes and sequins.